Penelope Gilliatt Criticism
Penelope Gilliatt (1932–1993) was a distinguished British novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter, whose work as a film and drama critic further solidified her reputation. Her literary contributions are celebrated for their sharp wit, masterful dialogue, and memorable characters, often exploring themes of modernity and individuality. Gilliatt's narrative style, marked by subtle humor and irony, is vividly demonstrated in her collection Splendid Lives. Here, she delves into the lives of elderly characters within English society, offering a nuanced examination of human conditions, as Catherine Petroski analyzes. However, while Splendid Lives engages readers with its textured narratives, critics such as Anatole Broyard argue that despite their charm, the stories sometimes lack literary refinement and resolution.
Her novel The Cutting Edge has attracted various critiques. While William Boyd highlights its dynamic dialogue and wit, others like Eve Zibart note shortcomings in narrative coherence and depth. Anne Tyler underscores the novel's exploration of ambiguity through the complex relationship between its protagonists, two brothers, while Daphne Merkin criticizes its self-congratulatory tone and moral confusion. Despite such critiques, Gilliatt's stylistic elegance and sophisticated themes continue to captivate readers, as emphasized by Helen Harris emphasizes.
Gilliatt’s work often critiques societal norms and the mechanical aspects of modern life with humor and sharp dialogue. Nobody's Business, for example, is praised for its humorous critique of humanity's reliance on scientific and mechanized principles. Abby Ann Arthur Johnson discusses Gilliatt's portrayal of individual dignity amidst conformity. However, some critics, including Susan Wood and Eileen Kennedy, suggest that while Gilliatt’s stories are entertaining and witty, they may lack deeper character development, partly due to her film-writing techniques. James Brockway adds that although Splendid Lives captures her satirical acuity, it often presents modern lives as melancholic rather than splendid.
Penelope Gilliatt's longstanding affiliation with The New Yorker, where she contributed significantly before stepping down as a film critic, further highlights her influence in both literary and critical circles. Her work continues to invite analysis and discussion, offering a complex interplay between narrative style and thematic exploration that remains a point of intrigue and debate among scholars and readers alike.
Contents
- Gilliatt, Penelope (Vol. 2)
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Gilliatt, Penelope (Vol. 10)
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Abby Ann Arthur Johnson
(summary)
In the following essay, Abby Ann Arthur Johnson argues that Penelope Gilliatt's Nobody's Business critiques the reliance on scientific principles and machines in human life, using wit and humor to celebrate the individuality and dignity of human existence against a backdrop of mechanical conformity.
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Anatole Broyard
(summary)
In the following essay, Anatole Broyard critiques Penelope Gilliatt's "Splendid Lives" for its open-ended narratives and reliance on eccentricity, arguing that while the stories suggest a contemporary lifestyle unconstrained by convention, they lack literary refinement and resolution, ultimately engaging readers through their texture and incongruity.
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Susan Wood
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In the following review, Susan Wood suggests that Penelope Gilliatt's stories in Splendid Lives are entertaining yet lack deeper meaning or character development, recommending they be enjoyed individually for their cleverness without expecting substantial thematic depth.
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Eileen Kennedy
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In the following essay, Eileen Kennedy critiques Penelope Gilliatt's work, particularly "Splendid Lives," for its witty yet superficial storytelling, highlighting her failure to fully develop characters and situations due to her reliance on film-writing techniques over verbal depth necessary for fiction.
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James Brockway
(summary)
In the following essay, James Brockway argues that while Penelope Gilliatt's Splendid Lives showcases her keen satirical mind and sharp social observation, the stories often lack structure and humor, ultimately portraying modern lives as more sad than splendid.
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Abby Ann Arthur Johnson
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Gilliatt, Penelope (Vol. 13)
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Splendour's Variorum
(summary)
In the following essay, Catherine Petroski examines Splendid Lives by Penelope Gilliatt, noting the collection's focus on elderly characters within English society, its subtle humor, and irony, and contending that its appeal lies in its refined, analytical exploration of human conditions rather than emotional engagement or entertainment.
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William Boyd
(summary)
In the following essay, William Boyd critiques Penelope Gilliatt's The Cutting Edge for its lack of narrative direction and reliance on sparkling dialogue and eccentric characters, suggesting that while Gilliatt's style occasionally captures poignant moments, it often fails to maintain sustained interest.
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Gilliatt's Glittering Surfaces
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In the following essay, Eve Zibart critiques Penelope Gilliatt's novel "The Cutting Edge" for its literary style and wit but criticizes it for lacking depth and resolution in its character development and narrative conclusion.
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Brother A and Brother B
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In the following essay, Anne Tyler argues that Penelope Gilliatt's novel "The Cutting Edge" explores the theme of ambiguity through its sparse narrative style and the complex relationship between its central characters, two brothers whose intertwined lives and unclear boundaries offer a modern, enigmatic take on the traditional fairytale.
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Daphne Merkin
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In the following essay, Daphne Merkin criticizes Penelope Gilliatt's novel The Cutting Edge for its self-congratulatory tone, unclear intentions, and confusion between issues of taste and morality, ultimately deeming it insufferable and shallow.
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Helen Harris
(summary)
In the following essay, Helen Harris critiques Penelope Gilliatt's novel The Cutting Edge for its anachronistic portrayal of intellectual characters and emphasizes how its stylistic elegance and sophisticated themes, though engaging, are undercut by a forced narrative resolution that diminishes the novel's otherwise commendable qualities.
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Splendour's Variorum
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